Apparatus for threading tobacco leaves



Oct.27, 1936. v P. MULLER 7 2,058,815

APPARATUS FOR THREADING TOBACCO LEAVES Filed July '20 1955 alzorney Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR THREADING TOBACCO LEAVES Paul Muller, Neuf Brisach, France Application July 20, 1935, Serial No. 32,409 In France July 25, 1934 Claims. (01. 13121) The present invention has for object a device ficient conditions. The needle 6 is guided through for threading tobacco leaves upon a string for the the supports b in apertures or notches i (Fig. 2) purpose of drying said leaves. Apparatus for Each support moreover is fitted with a blade threading tobacco leaves are known in which the spring is (Fig. 3). The stem of the tobacco leaf 5 leaves are juxtaposed upon a work table and is thus held between this blade spring and the placed separately in supporting means which hold upright support. them fixed so as to permit the passage of the For the purpose of putting the stem in accurate threading needle through the stems. position in front of the aperture 1' (Fig. 2) for the These threading apparatus present the drawpassage of the needle e, the support is provided in 0 back that the threading needle is formed as a the other direction with two other springs l and flat body, such as a steel ribbon, wound upon a m. The spring Z forms a bearing for the stems driving drum, or as a blade having rack teeth and its movement is limited by the bar 1 The at one edge meshing with gears for the purpose upper spring m is pivotally mounted upon a shaft of reciprocating the blade. Another drawback o and is loaded with a counterweight p. The consists in that no means are provided for autolatter springs are generally united in a single elel5 matically securing the accurate location of the ment mounted upon a common shaft and proleaves so that they may be perforated exactly in vided with a single counterweight (Fig. 1) For the central part of the stern by the passage of placing the tobacco leaves, the counterweight p the needle. Moreover, the perforation produced is pivoted to the position 10' (Fig. 2) and the by such needles is oblong and may cause a splitsprings m are thus removed to the position m 20 ting up of the stem in the direction of the fibres. in the direction of the arrow D (Fig. 2). The The threading apparatus, object of the present leaves being introduced with their stems in the invention, eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks by support the counterweight is brought in the operusing a needle of circular section and supports ative position. The springs l, m and the counter which suit the size of the tobacco stems and are weight 10 are adjusted so that, whatever the size 25 adapted to be automatically adjusted so that the of the stem may be, the latter always automatistems are duly centered with respect to the path cally lies in the central position in front of the of the needle. aperture 1' of the support and the needle will In the accompanying drawing there is illusperfectly pierce the stem in its middle portion. trated by way of example, a form of embodiment When the needle e is at the end of its course 30 01' Suc t ad apparatusafter having pierced through the whole series 1 is a plan View of the apparatus; of leaf stems, the string 1 is hooked on (Fig. 3)

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but on larger scale and showing a support holding a tobacco leaf.

and the needle is retracted by winding in. The string drawn by the needle thus passes in the 3 f m of Said t h holes of all the stems and threading is completed. 35

15 m V1 w supper S owmg To make it possible to vary the number of supalso the needle with the string. t b th th t d t Fig. 4 illustrates a detail of the drum driving per m e mg appara us an a ms the needle and Seen in section on line the distance thereof between each other accordof Fig ing to the thickness of the tobacco stems, said In these drawings, a designates the work table Supports are mounted in a channelled guide 1 (Fig. 1 upon hi h are mounted th supports 1 and steadied therein by means of set screws 1" holding the tobacco leaves 0 and a drum d for (Fi s- 2 and moving the needle 6 (Fig. 1). The needle 6 is I claim:

formed by a steel wire the end of which has a 1. An apparatus for threading tobacco leaves 45 notch e1 to be engaged by the string 1 (Fig. 3). comprising a base, a series of upright supports The wire is wound inside the drum (1 (Figs. 1 and formed each by a rigid member and a resilient 4) the entrance of which has an offset guide g member between which the butt end of the leaf (Fig. 4) so as to cause the wire to wind in juxmay be engaged, the rigid members having each taposed turns. For reciprocating the needle 6, an aperture in alinement over the whole series, 50 the crank handle 71. (Fig. 1) fixed to the drum resilient means in each support for holding the 11 should be rotated. Due to the fact that the leaf stem in front of the aperture, a steel wire turns of wire e are enclosed within the drum d needle capable of running through the apertures (Fig. 4) the unwinding and rewinding are perwhile piercing the stems, and a rotary drum in- 5 formed without sliding and under the most efside of which the needle can be wound and unwound so as to be reciprocated through the series of supports.

2. An apparatus for threading tobacco leaves comprising a base, a series of upright supports formed each by a rigid member and a resilient member between which the butt end of the leaf may be engaged, the rigid members having each an aperture in alinement over the whole series, a pair of blade springs arranged to be engaged by the butt end of the leaf stem for holding it in front of the corresponding aperture, means for adjusting the pressure of at least one of these blade springs, a steel wire needle capable of running through the apertures while piercing the stems, and a rotary drum inside of which the needle can be wound and unwound so as to be reciprocated through the series of supports.

3. An apparatus for threading tobacco leaves comprising a base, a series of upright supports formed each by a rigid member and a resilient member between which the butt end of the leaf may be engaged, the rigid members having each an aperture in alinement over the whole series, resilient means in each support for holding the leaf stem in front of the aperture, a steel wire needle capable of running through the apertures while piercing the stems, and a rotary drum with an oiTset guide and tangential entrance for winding and unwinding the needle in juxtaposed turns inside the drum.

4. An apparatus for threading tobacco leaves comprising a base, a channelled guide way on said base, a series of upright supports slidably mounted in said guide way, each support being formed by a rigid member and a resilient member between which the butt end of the leaf may be engaged, the rigid members having each an aperture in alinement over the whole series, resilient means in each support for holding the leaf stem in front of the aperture, a steel wire needle cable of running through the apertures while piercing the stems, and a rotary drum inside of which the needle can be wound and unwound so as to be reciprocated through the series of supports.

5. An apparatus for threading tobacco leaves comprising a base, a series of upright supports formed each by a rigid member and a resilient member between which the butt end of the leaf may be engaged, the rigid members having each an aperture in alinement over the whole series, a lower blade spring arranged to sustain the butt end of the leaf stem, an upper blade spring for pressing said butt end against the lower spring, said upper springs forming a unit over the, whole series of supports, which is pivotally mounted upon a common shaft and loaded with a counterweight, a steel wire needle capable of running through the apertures while piercing the stems and a rotary drum inside of which the needle can be wound and unwound so as to be reciprocated through the series of supports.

PAUL MULLER. 

